When Anthony Jones gave the Texas Longhorns an official visit back in June, it didn’t take him long to decide he wanted to play his college ball in Austin. In fact, the Henderson (NV) Liberty product announced his Texas commitment in the middle of his visit.
Last weekend, Jones was back in Austin for the first time since making his verbal pledge. He spent the weekend with the coaches and a number of other Texas recruits and while the Longhorns suffered a tough setback in a loss to Oklahoma State, Jones said his commitment is stronger than it’s ever been.
“Just being able to get to go to one of the games was crazy. It’s definitely a crazy atmosphere,” Jones said. “I got to see a lot more history and the Texas culture. Seeing the new facilities, connecting with coaches, it made me love it even more.”
A one-time Washington commitment, Jones had developed a strong connection with Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski when Kwiatkowski held the same position at Washington. Those two have continued to build a strong connection and Jones isn’t interested in looking at any other schools.
“I’m definitely locked in. I’m not going anywhere,” Jones said. “I’ll be enrolling January 13. I have my plans set out. I only want to be coached by the Texas coaches.”
While in Austin last weekend, Jones did a little recruiting on the Longhorns’ behalf, including leaning on offensive lineman Malik Agbo. The two had met previously when they were both at Miami on official visits, and Jones is hoping Agbo will now join him in Austin.
“My boy Malik Agbo was down here. I’ve definitely been talking to Malik about him coming here,” Jones said. “He’s definitely showing his interest. He knows he can play here because two of our tackles are leaving pretty soon. I’m going to stay on him, guys like Anthony Hill, Arch Manning, all those guys.”
With the realization that he’ll be in Austin in less than three months, Jones said things have moved quickly ever since he committed, and he’s coming in with the hopes of getting some early playing time.
“Everybody told me it would come fast. I’m just happy to be in this position,” Jones said. “Getting up there early, it will put me in a better position to hopefully play my freshman year.”
He’s not the only one hoping he can make an early impact. On Saturday afternoon, shortly after Texas lost a heartbreaker to OSU, the coaches stressed to him why he and this 2022 recruiting class are so important to the future of the program.
“After the game, we were all upset about the loss, but they said this is why we’re recruiting guys like you, to help us win games like this,” Jones said.
